Death of a Night
by Seraphina DW
Summary: Yaoi post-war fic. CHAPTER 6 ADDED- lime. While Wufei tries to figure out his own identity and answers for his haunting past, Duo presents a very, very promising distraction...now what will Wufei do?
1. Night's Blood

AN: After the discontinuity of my previous WufeixDuo story, I decided to write this one. Hopefully it is better. Please R&R so I know if I should continue.

****

Death of a Night

Part 1: Night's Blood

It was a night in autumn, when the air was chilled and could reach beyond the warmth of layers of clothes, right to the bone. Stars blinked above in the vast nothingness called space, while the moon peered down, enlarged due to a closer proximity. The craters in star-speckled gray were clearly visible as was the long line of people shivering outside of a closed off building.

The sky, of a blurry mixture of navy and violet, was a newborn evening with dark blue-gray clouds hanging suspended above the old dark brick buildings, while the usual bustle and noise of the city died down. Muffled sounds of dance music and its ever steady thump, thump, thump, pushed between heavy doors and out onto the bare street; 'twas bare save for a few parked cars, scattered papers collected at the curbs, and the queue of people huddling close together.

"Did we have to come here tonight?" A young man complained, crossing his arms over his chest, trying not to let the chattering of his teeth seem obvious.

"Of course. A little cold can't do us harm," his companion responded. "Besides, once we get inside, it'll be all nice and warm." By the suggestive tone of his voice, it was obvious that he was thinking beyond just getting away from the outside cold.

They inched forward as people disappeared into the opening behind closed doors and waited till they would finally reach the end where a red rope made a curve to mark the cut off. Laughter erupted behind the two boys, and one narrowed his dark brown eyes at the girls behind them who were talking loud enough for the whole block to hear them. Not like anyone was around besides the people in front and behind them.

"Are you on the guest list?" A stranger asked with a clipboard between glove covered hands.

"No," the brown-haired boy responded.

Cold green eyes peered above the clipboard at the boy and shook his head. The boy's hairstyle was out of the norm, and he'd thought he was a girl before he had spoken.

"Alright, go in," the man said and unhooked the red rope.

The brown-haired boy fixed a smirk on his face and winked at his Asian friend who only frowned in return.

"Come on, we're inside, it's warm, and we might as well enjoy it," Duo said, sliding some bills under a ticket window before slinking out of his black overcoat, revealing a black mesh shirt that darkened the indents and curves of his lean muscles. His braid swooshed behind his black, straight-legged pants which hugged his hips and made him look more sophisticated than he usually was.

Wufei sighed and took off his black jacket after paying the girl behind the glass window. He stared at his own plain black tee-shirt which was tight compared to his usual plum color sleeveless. He also wore black pants while his hair was loose, resulting in black strands playing along his face.

"Tell me why I came here again," he asked Duo before going into the main room.

"I was bored, and this place was having a no ID night," Duo shouted back, checking his coat at the coat check.

The consistent bassline of techno music and the shrill sound of a distorted voice pounded into their ears. Synthetic notes echoed about while multicolored lights spun around in a frenzied fashion. Bodies moved, swayed, and grinded to the beat, ever in perpetual waves of heat and arising passion. Glittery tank tops of girls dancing on a podium, sparkled in the constantly fluctuating light as they danced seductively and smoothly, their hips orbiting around, their tight pants clinging onto their legs. Hormones and pheromones collided and settled in the air, the intensity building and driving into each person. An occasional neon light swirled about from an unseen person, while guys and girls with glowsticks, visors, and binkies formed a circle at the center of the dance floor.

One side of the room, where the bar was, was illuminated by a few fluorescent ceiling lights. People slung over the counter or sat underneath it, sipping their drinks from glasses, either tired or just waiting for some courage to magically spring up within them, making them want to dance.

Duo nudged Wufei and threaded through the crowd, keeping an eye out for girls. Spotting a well endowed brunette with a sparkly, revealing halter top and tight black pants, he tilted his head to her direction and approached her, leaving Wufei standing uncomfortably; he was constantly getting bumped and pushed by people dancing or trying to walk pass. Thoroughly annoyed, he began to shove back at anyone near him, making them trip or fall which pissed off quite a few girls and other guys. Walking away, he was stuck on the outside of a circle where guys where raving with glowsticks in hand, twirling about themselves making the motion fluid and constant in a chaos of neon green and fire orange. Looking over his shoulder, he saw several guys pointing at him, and in sensing unnecessary trouble, he began nudging through the crowd, walking right through where the ravers were, past the bouncer, and out the door.

Exhaling in condensing puffs due to the chill air, he was glad he was out. Going up to chicks and rubbing himself against them was far from what he wanted to do, although he had already wasted his time and money getting into the club with Duo. He was sure Duo could handle himself, but he, preferring to be alone for the most part, couldn't and wouldn't have put up with another minute in that cramped room with annoyingly loud music.

"Why did I agree to come here?" he asked the never ending sky above which stretched and faded in the far off horizon. Truthfully, he rather be back home...wherever that was. 

He had lost his home a long time ago. And it was all because of him. He hadn't been fast enough or strong enough to save it. If only he could have proven himself, then his people wouldn't have had to make that sacrifice of giving up their lives so he could be stronger without them holding him back. But no, were they wrong! Destroying themselves was hardly what he had ever wanted. He had never wanted... 

Raking a hand through his hair, he looked around wildly like a madman, so afraid for anyone, including strangers, to see his emotional struggle. Then, stumbling over the sidewalk, still looking about frantically, strands upon strands of hair strewn across his face, he ran. 

Ran home.


	2. Illusions Under The Moon

****

Part 2: Illusions Under The Moon

Fingers tightened around a stubborn bottle cap, the knuckles turning white with pressure. Veins showed through a yellow-toned skin and the cap was twisted off successfully, leaving a few shallow cuts in the hard flesh of the unaffected digits.

Then, the injured hand clawed itself around the slender neck of the bottle and raised its opening to dry, parched lips, chapping with dead skin. Gulping down the liquid hastily left a few beads of lime-colored liquid streaming from a blue tinted lip down to a pale chin.

Blinking a few times, Wufei set the bottle down. Staring at its blank label, he blinked again and swayed as he stood, then he let the empty hollow glass slide from his grip and fall onto the floor, smashing at his feet, sending thousands of tiny shards scattering in a mad dash along the wooden floor.

Unfazed, he walked past the wreck, pieces of glass crunching beneath his shoes as he made his way out of Duo's room, past the closed door of the bathroom they shared, and on an invisible, slanted path leading into his room.

Dark shadows played across his wall from a lone tree outside his window whose branches shook violently in the biting wind. Flurries of shapes took place, overlapping, pushing each other out of the way like a shadow storm. The blurry figures taunted and teased him, almost scaring him at some points in taking form of monsters and other creatures that would require a vivid imagination in which he thought he had lacked.

He stumbled to shut the curtains across the room and sneezed as the dust arose from the old untouched fabric. Falling onto his bed, he flailed his arms and felt like he was falling down into a lake, floating, then submerging, then drowning.

And in his violent dreams, he found his lost family, his parents who embraced him in a strong and warm hug, and his beloved who was still as young and lively as he had remembered her, before she left him, like everyone else had. In those blissful times, he remembered who he once was, before war had struck and lashed at him, pulling him screaming from childhood to manhood with no mercy and indifference to the blood it had shed and taken from him.

Wufei opened his eyes and felt hot and sticky at the same time. It was somehow comforting, having this normally uncomfortable feeling again. Rising from an open field of tall and wild grass, he achingly stretched and was on his feet in an awkward instant. Looking down at himself, he scorned and inspected his dirt-stained, red sleeveless and white sweatpants.

Observing his surroundings, he realized he was standing in an open field on top of a rolling hill. A sense of dizziness settled in from the heavy weight of nostalgia. A girl's laughing voice called out to him, and he felt the blood drain from his face. Suddenly, he was cold all over while a wave of tingling sensations crawled up his spine. He hadn't been to this place since...

Turning around hesitantly, he gasped at what he saw. It was Meiran, his girlfriend who had died a year ago. So how could this be? It must be a dream.

'This has to be a dream,' Wufei thought to himself, but seeing Meiran as alive as she was dared to challenge that thought.

"Wufei, what are you doing standing around like that?" She laughed, her voice ringing out in his ears like it always did without that girlish annoyance he found in most girls. She was clad in a simple, thin, beige top that hung off her shoulder, wrinkled in between the gentle slopes of her breasts and ended in slightly ripped fringes where her navy shorts began, revealing tanned and long, lean muscled legs slightly hidden by the grass. Brown hair shined with the light of sun, and played around her shoulders while her equally dark eyes rested upon him.

Feeling the heat creep up into his cheeks, he almost stuttered and berated himself for being weak. However, being only a teenage boy with hormones, he could only admire her figure in silence and hope that she would not notice how he looked at her.

"Wufei?" She called out teasingly to him again, throwing him out of his reverie.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound irritated with authority, "What, Meiran?"

"What, Meiran?" She imitated his voice with more obnoxious tones. Snickering and with arms akimbo, she raised her head up high, "Nice try, but first off, you aren't in control of me. Second, you aren't as tough as you think you are, little man."

Shocked by her smart remark, he twitched with genuine annoyance. He was no little man, and would not be insulted by her. Switching back to his old mode, he forgot about retaining emotion and snapped, "Little man, huh? Well, I'll show you!"

"Try and catch me, Wufei, unless you think you're too slow for me!" Meiran laughed mockingly at him and ran across the large field that extended far down to the tiny dots of trees in a small plantation.

Dashing after her, his breath picked up, the air pumping in and out of his lungs faster, his feet leaping across slender, waist high, green stems of grass which leaned and swayed around him, a gentle breeze touching the very tips, moving them in a perpetual motion. Concentrating on her fleeting form and the way her hair whooshed about as she ran, he chased her under the heat of the sun and the high humidity, clouds hanging above in the air, hardly moving in the pure azure sky. It was yet another thing he had failed to notice and appreciate when he was home.

At the end of the field was a small lot of farmland where peach trees, in their ripe stage, flourished with branches that spread out like the frame of a fan with slight hints of green and yellow-orange fruit weighing down from the leaf-full branches. Yet, still, she ran through the trees, looking over her shoulder to see if he had given up. With renewed determination, he wiped away the sweat that was already forming at the side of his face and brow, and sped up, skipping over tangles of roots and ducking under low branches. Stopping in a crouching form under the shade of one of the large plants, he listened to her footsteps which rounded to the right. He cut and sneaked carefully across the trees so she would not hear him. Then, as he saw her stand still in wonder of where he was, he leaped up and pounced on her, bringing them rolling out of the patch.

Tumbling and stopping on the beaten and narrow dirt path that bordered the peach trees and a golden wheat field, he ended up lying on top of her, them both out of breath. Gasping for air, she laughed again, her hair sweaty and fallen in tangles and masses along a dirt path imprinted with the shapes of many footsteps. He found himself lost in her youthful beauty, in her warmth which he had now captured in his arms, burying his head into her neck, his hot breath colliding with her smooth skin. Her scent was fully intoxicating. 

"Meiran..." he whispered, almost crying. He never realized how much he had missed her. 

"Wufei..." she smiled, combing her hand through his thick, loose hair. "You caught me, little man."

Grinning, Wufei lowered his head to hers, their foreheads barely touching before their lips met, in a shy and chaste kiss. No longer hesitant, Wufei made the next kiss longer, enjoying the softness of her lips against his, of how sweet she tasted and how she left a minty taste in his mouth when they drew apart.

"Hey, you kids! What are you doing on my property?" A loud voice yelled from a figure behind the peach trees. A portion of his straw hat and jeans could be seen through the layers of leaves, and he was obviously approaching them.

Quickly scampering up to their feet, they ran from his yelling voice, out into the field, and down the hill with the wind whipping and attacking their loose clothes and hair, pushing them back as their feet touched the ground with each long stride, their hands still joined together. At the foot of the hill, they slowed down and looked back up the hill, the sun still bright above in the afternoon as they caught their breath and smiled at each other, chuckling at each other's bedraggled appearance.

"Meiran," Wufei began before a loud explosion sounded beside them.

Opening his eyes wide, Wufei immediately felt nauseated and vomited into the bucket conveniently placed beside his bed. Someone patted his back as his stomach still convulsed when there was nothing left to release. Leaning over his bed for a while, he closed his eyes and felt the clumps of hair slide over his disgusted face.

"Wufei, you okay?" A voice asked. And it wasn't Meiran's.

"Yes. Leave me be." Wufei sat up, swatted Duo's hand away, and promptly left his room and went into the bathroom. 

The light flickered on automatically, and Wufei peered into the mirror, observing his appearance. His normally clean hair was oily and disheveled, puffy in some places and flat in others. His breath no longer tasted of mint, but of the sickening taste of undigested food.

Rinsing his mouth out, he turned to Duo who was standing in the doorway. Staring at the American's worried face, he turned away, full of shame, not only for himself, but of the memories he had disgraced with his failures.

"Wufei...are you-" Duo asked and was shut up by Wufei's glare.

The Chinese boy, looking very dangerous at the moment, stepped towards Duo with a threatening look on his face. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, his back hunching over as he put his face into his hands and cried.


	3. Le Soir - Toxic Kiss

****

Part 3: Le Soir - Toxic Kiss

Wufei wandered on the streets of the city. He walked along the black stained streets and the cement sidewalks spotted with old gum stepped upon by the soles of many people. He walked past the stores that had just opened and were prepping up for the morning's sales and clients to come in. He walked bit by bit as the day wore on, the sun rising and falling over an arched track across the clear sky.

He thought upon the foolish action he had took only the day before, and how he had revealed a weakness he had hoped never to show to anyone. Perhaps only one of an intimate level would gain his trust and would be able to hold the key to all his doubts and worries and fears, but as of the current now, no one was qualified to fill that position. Especially not Duo Maxwell.

Duo, in any case and form, was probably the loud mouth of the group. Filling the silence with bitter jokes or a random conversation about another pilot was what he did. However, telling of another pilot's shortfalls was something Wufei was sure Duo wouldn't do, but might do unconsciously as a tidbit of any casual conversation with the others. He couldn't afford that chance. Not now, not ever.

As a Gundam pilot, enshrouding the secrets of his former life as a child, as a boy, bottling them up in an air-tight enclosure, was simply necessary. A part of him needed to do that in order to keep on living, to keep on moving on, past the pain, past the suffering of the tests that challenged his own strength, his endurance, and his will. What was meant to be encouragement was the setting stone for yet another test, another test in which he had to pass or fail and die in a sea of regret, loathing, and hopelessness that only the lonely living undead would find in the empty slots of their brains that used to register emotions and other joys that made up a good life and one worth living. However, he had given that title up. He was no longer a Gundam pilot, but his brain and heart refused to believe it. He was a Preventer, but inside, he was still the same. Inside, he refused to listen to his own pleas.

A car alarm went off. A baby's pleats and cries echoed from a street corner. A beep from a car horn sounded as cars sped down in multicolor boxes of smooth and sleek metal, racing to beat the red light. Noise and chaos traveled from the door of a café which was brewing delicate aromas of coffees and the morning ramble of college students and people hurrying for their quick dose of legal drugs before becoming half zombies as they went on their daily programming to work to tow money back into the box that held either a family or a home in it.

The young man observed all this, his steps never faltering, his look never changing, his senses alert and keen as they always were. Such a posture and confidence would be a gift to anyone of his age, but little did anyone know that they just were the fitted costumes of his part in the play offstage the game of war. And in that game, he was just like any other player, except possibly made of more durable and stronger plastic that was melted into a larger mold. Yet, just like the others, in one strategic move, he'd be out of the game or burned and disfigured under the flame of death in rotting fumes that poisoned the very air he took within his lungs while he watched every step he took, covered the lack of self-esteem with false confidence, and made sure no one suspicious was lurking around in case his identity would be revealed.

'Stop,' he demanded. The war was over. Or was it? No, it'd never be over. Not for someone like him.

He reminded himself that he wasn't supposed to be out in public. He was supposed to be holed up in the safety of his "safe house" but the fact that a certain other person was there after an uncomfortable and awkward situation was none too appealing.

Why was it even awkward in the first place? Why did it have to be awkward? If only he had faith in his fellow ex-pilot, then he could've confessed of every damage made to harm him, every gash cut to grind him down till it gnawed at the very bone of hope and poured salt water all over itself to make the victim scream with pain. But, he had chosen the hard and often ill path of silence and ignorance. Pretend it never happened, and it would all be alright in the end, as do all the cliché pop songs often say. If only that magical, nonexistent person would come and save him from the masses of self-mutilating thoughts, he'd be glad to live in a candy-covered, sugar colored world of the imagined.

Then, there was reality. The front door which opened to the rusty metal staircase that had dents in the center of the steps. The actual steps that led down a short hallway. The hallway, with dirty and chipped paint along its barriers till it ended at the last beaten down door. The hardly considered strong door that opened yet to another room which he was forced to call home. And the person he was supposed to consider as a friend.

Friend. It was a distasteful word that lead to a false concept, though it held the pretense of being nice. Of being...friendly. It was a snake that bit into the ankle of its victim, and held it in suffering till the poison crept up the leg and into the blood, eventually choking the life out of its form. On the other hand, that snake was most likely provoked first either consciously or subconsciously to bother snapping at the person.

Maybe he was that person testing the snake's accuracy with only a stick and his wits at hand. He couldn't afford to lose his life, but he went poking and prodding anyway, matching each strength to the snake's till either one struck first. The main concern was who would attack and finish with a kill.

"Wufei! Where have ya been buddy?" Duo walked up to him, each arm occupied with piles of grocery bags. "You never told me we ran outta food."

"Oh," Wufei said nonchalantly and realized that he was outside of his rundown apartment.

"So, where've you been?" Duo inquired again, fumbling with his keys, then dropping them.

Wufei swiftly picked the dropped keys up and offered them to the other boy. "Nowhere," he said while Duo reached for the keys, their fingers touching the lightest of touches, sending electric fire through Duo's arm as he stared into the dark abysses of Wufei's eyes, that single word coming from his full lips meaning more than he would've ever considered it to define.

_Nowhere_... 

There was such emptiness in the tone of his voice that Duo thought he was looking at a ghost or corpse, fascinated in its materialization. How cold Wufei's fingers were made the thought linger till Duo saw the faint rosy tint on Wufei's cheeks because of how cold it was outside. 'Beautiful...' Duo thought, then abruptly realized he was thinking of his fellow Preventer in ways he hadn't even considered before with anyone else. Then, he noticed that he was staring at the other pilot made the blood rise to his face. He looked away immediately in hope that his companion had not taken notice of his blushing, though the dark eyes were also pinned on him.

Letting out a low, throaty chuckle, Duo said, "Well, nowhere sounds like a great place to be," and turned the key, unlocking the door. 

'Maybe so, but it's also the worst place to be,' Wufei thought, his hands in his pockets.

Wufei stared at Duo as he gently rested the brown grocery bags onto the kitchen counter. He watched the shadows of the wrinkles in his black shirt thin and disappear, then pop out again as the boy began taking various objects out of the bags. He looked at Duo's arms, the muscles flexing as his hands strained to keep a hold on a carton of milk, the knuckles and the bones paling as the skin stretched over them.

The silent boy continued with his observations, taking sanctuary in the cold hands of the corner shadows, watching the other continue his chores, comparing the light and dark of his clothes, of his skin toned in the half sunlight, and the visions of his cheery smile twisting into a dangerous frown.

Wufei scowled at this. Duo was a boy with two extremes. Good and evil. Two sides of a coin. Light and Dark. Though his humor was usually always mixed with a tinge of sarcasm, he never failed to smile in a time of need or express his emotions which flared within himself so passionately that they overwhelmed and engulfed anyone and everyone around him. He was a warm Life. Hidden under those emotions burned a deep seed of anger with fear being its core. He was capable of killing ruthlessly, any opponent, laughing in his victories. He was a cold Death.

Fascinated with his new discovery, Wufei probed deeper into the other boy, who was of course, oblivious. The light and the dark were entwined in a double helix that was the boy called Duo. Get on his good side, and you were forever soaring in his joyous smile. Get on his bad side, and you were forever plunging in his bitter laughter.

"Hey, Wufei, could you help me out here?" Duo asked, standing near the cracked kitchen ceiling lamp.

Wufei begrudgingly walked into the tiled room. "What?" he asked, disinterested.

"I need to put these dishes up on the top shelf..." then flustered, he added, "I can't reach it."

Ignoring the other boy's slight embarrassment, Wufei took the plates from his hand and reached up to put them onto the shelf; he closed the cabinet door. He stood only a few inches taller than Duo, but perhaps that made all the difference. Or maybe, it didn't.

When he turned to Duo, he was met with violet chasms that broke through irises bright with life. They seemed to express that they were not the eyes of Death. Then, how could Duo, with his bright eyes, such vibrant eyes, have killed so many with the hands of a ruthless and sometimes sadistic murderer?

Snapping back to reality, Wufei realized that he was staring at Duo, who in turn, had been staring at him. Snickering, Wufei tore his gaze away from Duo who still looked at him in confusion. Wufei could feel it. How Duo thought of him as an enigma. And he smiled.

"Say, what do you wanna do tonight?" Duo asked casually, suddenly at Wufei's side. "I don't think you really liked the club last time. Why'd you leave without telling me?"

Wufei frowned. "Rubbing myself against strangers was and is not my idea of a fun time; it seems like it is yours."

"Hooking up with hot girls? Now, even I can't refuse that offer," Duo grinned, but immediately sobered. "So, what happened after you left?" he questioned further.

The other boy sensed that his companion was trying to lead him somewhere. Shrugging, he replied, "I came back here. Where else? You know the rest." Wufei grimaced. He shouldn't have drank that much liquor that day. He had unknowingly given up much of what had been personal out into the open for Duo to see, and he deeply resented that. 

But those violet eyes and pale skin, the warmth of his body, the tremendous feeling...feeling of something. Was it pity? He needed none of that. Still no. It wasn't pity he was sensing. It was concern. No one should be concerned with an expendable, worthless piece of trash like himself. Sending Duo a warning glare, he silently told him to back off. He didn't need him or the warmth that was promised by his tranquil eyes. He didn't need any of it. He only needed himself, and he only depended on himself. Right, keep telling yourself that Wufei. Keep pretending that you're not dying and being eaten alive by the disease called loneliness.

Glaring and with tense muscles, Wufei sidestepped Duo and headed to his room before he lost control of himself.


	4. Prayers to the Dark Side of the Moon

He was engulfed in the maddening pulse and strains of music. Nothing else existed. Only the strong rhythms of voices singing loudly with pride in his native tongue. How fast the song was but tempered like a river. It sang of his blood, his kinsmen, and the pride that used to be many years ago. Honor. Pride. Things he used to live by. Now he didn't know anymore, but the voices, they urged and pushed, continuously strong without wavering or staggering. That's how he must be like, Wufei thought in daze. Strong and swift like a river but as calm as the sea. 

Forever pushing forward...

steady...thump

faster...

push...thump

thumphonor...

thumppride...

family... thump

thumppush...

... thump

thumpthumpthumpthump

thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump

…run...

Wufei stared up blankly at the ceiling of his dilapidated room. The wallpaper was peeling off, but he didn't notice. He only heard the voices of his ancestors and the pride swelling up within him. He knew who he was. He knew his worth. He knew many things, yet he knew nothing. Nothing.

Wufei was gently lulled into a deep sleep and never came out of his room while the sun passed overhead thrice during his dreamless rest.

***

"Wufei," yelled Duo who pounded on his door. "Wufei, open the door, buddy." All he could hear was the faint songs sung in a foreign tongue that had been playing constantly for three whole days.

After waiting for a few minutes, Duo shouted, "I don't know what's going on in there, but I'm comin' in."

Sliding some various metal objects out of his hair, Duo tweaked the lock till he heard a "click" and opened the door. The room smelled musty and stale. Wufei was sprawled on his bed, his hair loose, his eyes closed in his sleep while the music drowned out all other sound. Slowly, it began to fade and crackle as the radio lost power until it completely shut off. When it did, Wufei awoke from his dreams as if he were Sleeping Beauty waiting for his rescuer to come save him.

"Duo…" Wufei stretched his arms out, "what are you doing in my room?"

Amazed at his oblivion, Duo marched up to his window and opened the blinds. Wufei shielded his eyes from the light and twisted the sheets around his body as if the sun was a stinging poison. 

"Wufei-" Duo shook his head. "Y'know you've been sleeping for three days straight, buddy. Y'know that?"

Wufei glared at Duo. "I wasn't sleeping all the time."

"Then why didn't you come out to eat anything? When Heero called, I didn't know what to say to him. Oh, Wufei's locked himself in his room for three days and I-" Duo abruptly stopped talking.

Wufei gave him a strange look. "Heero…called?"

Duo nodded. "Yeah. Looks like the folks at the Preventers Headquarters have finally found a mission for us."

Wufei groaned and tried to sit up but clutched his forehead. He felt dizzy and was about to fall back down onto his pillow when Duo reached over to steady him.

"Hey, take it easy Wufei. Though you might not have been sleepin' fer three days, you sure've slept a lot," Duo chuckled good-naturedly.

"Shut up and get out," Wufei mumbled, throwing a pillow at Duo who caught it between his hands and snuggled it to his face.

"Mmm. Smells good. I hope you've taken showers these past few days," Duo grinned mischievously.

"Get out!" Wufei yelled, standing up, the sheets giving way to his naked body. His lean figure was chiseled and defined with slight muscles from training. The rays of sunlight only warmed up the bronze tan of his skin which hid halfway between the light and the shadows with his dark hair spilling over his tense shoulders. Immediately realizing his absence of clothing, Wufei grabbed the sheets and pulled them around his waist, but not before Duo saw all that there was to see.

Blushing, Duo said, "Er…I'll be on my way out now," and stumbled out of the room with Wufei's pillow crushed in his arm.

Scurrying back into his room, he banged his head against the wall, the pillow still victim in the tightening choke of his arms. "What the _hell_ is wrong with me? Oh God, help me." Duo slid down the wall, sinking his face into the soft, welcoming pillow, sniffing Wufei's scent. Pushing under the pillow was the bulge in his pants that he tried to will away.

Running out under the overcast, his coat buttoned up to the neck, the braided boy walked quickly down the streets, his legs stiff and sore under him. He'd been walking for a while now, paranoid of OZ or Alliance spies finding him. People quickly rushed to and forth around him, never brushing against him in the slightest way, all consumed in getting to their final destination. A city of robots.

Finally, he arrived at his destination. The only place he could call a sanctuary in the whole city. His church.

He walked down past the pews in the middle of the aisle, his fingers ghosting across the smooth, wooden edges of each row, remembering all the times he used to play hide-and-seek with his friends in and out of the never ending field of brown. Hearing his shoes tapping on the marble floor, he smiled at the familiar sound and knelt down before the mounted statue of the crucified Jesus and brought out his own cross, praying to God. The whole atmosphere, the airiness and tranquility of the church, his church, held him with so much emotion he felt he was brought nearly to tears. Then, he stood, wiped his eyes, and entered a confession booth.

He sat down, all too familiar with the process though it seemed so distant to him. Glancing through the grid, he looked at the priest's profile, a stranger in a guise. No, he'd never see his Father again…

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned…" he began. 

"How long has it been since your last confession?"

"Too long to remember, Father. Perhaps years." Duo said, idly touching the cross hanging around his neck.

"And what are your sins?" The unfamiliar, muted voice queried.

"I've had inappropriate thoughts about a friend of mine who is also a man…" Duo said solemnly. "I don't want to think I'm homosexual or 'nything, but they trouble me."

"Do they occur frequently?"

"No, they've just started, and I want them to stop."

"God loves all his children; if you inhibit yourself from acting upon these thoughts, the Lord shall guide you from sin. Pray to the rosary. 

"Through the Lord Jesus Christ, I absolve you of your sins, go forth and sin no more."

"Thank you, Father," Duo mumbled and exited the booth. He went down the nearest pew and pulled a cushion down which was resting alongside the back of the seat in front of him. Kneeling upon it, he took out his chaplet and made a cross, saying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

He felt the air waft around him, the piles of candles burning brightly from their wicks, the calm it brought to the torrent in his heart, and how it seemed he was the only one there, the only one truly important out of millions of others beyond his small refuge. 

Mumbling, he closed his eyes and whispered, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe…" holy words stored in his heart.

He finished his prayer with a diminishing "Amen" before opening his eyes again. Blinking, he felt somewhat out of place, his mind floating out into space. Walking numbly to the shelf where unused candles stood bare and cold, he fished out a few bills to put in the donation box and took two candles. Lighting them into life, his face basked in their warmth and the shared warmth of hundreds of candles, melting and burning brightly in the dimly-lit church. He watched the flame flicker and devour the wick, the first beads of wax pooling and slowly dripping down the sides. Clasping his hands together in prayer, he thought back to Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, the only two people he ever considered to be his parents; the only people who cared for him and about his - other than, that is…Solo...

__

Solo.

Alas, he prayed for the selfless, solitary boy who was his mentor, brother, and friend to him. All three people, three holes in his heart, all taken away from him to hopefully be saved by God. He could only hope the God his dear Father and Sister so truly believed in was listening, was hearing their prayers and taking action. But even today, children were starving on the streets, stealing food, and whoring for money. What God would let this happen? 

'Of course, one must keep faith,' Duo thought to himself in an attempt to extinguish all doubt in his faith. 'How can the very being Father Maxwell and Sister Helen believed in so strongly, not exist? No, _He_ must exist!' Duo grimaced and wiped at his swelling eyes. '_He _will guide me from my sins, right?'

Duo stood up and walked briskly to the exit where the doors arched high in an imitation of the ancient cathedrals still standing on Earth. Forming a cross with the holy water again, he stepped out and the weather was warm; the air was dry. He could see the sun from behind the synthesized clouds that floated almost leisurely in the artificial sky. 

Staring about him, he watched people walk by as they paid no heed to him; the cars drive by without stopping; the ever constant movement of the clock never stopping and he whispered:

__

"God, I'm lonely."

***

AN: I've edited this story up to this chapter, making Duo and Wufei Preventers. It's just easier for me that way (if you've read any parts that say otherwise, please tell me so I can change it immediately). I'm currently working on the next chapter, but seeing how homework takes priority (yeah right) it'll be a bit longer before I update this fic. The next chapter will take a new turn, I promise. 


	5. Interlude

****

Interlude

As Duo rounded another street corner, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Duo! Duo, is that you?"

The boy spun around and saw a middle-aged man with a young girl beside him. His brow furrowed with split second confusion before a wide grin appeared. The sight of the man with his pot-bellied stomach, half shaven face, and signature smile warmed Duo inside so much that it pushed out all the loneliness and fears he had felt just moments before.

"Joey Hardcore!" Duo called out the familiar nickname with enthusiasm.

The older man jogged over to Duo and gave him a big bear hug. 

"Haha, people don't call me that no more!" Then, he took Duo by the shoulders and sized him up. "You're still a shrimp! And that infamous braid of yers got even longer."

"Yeah, it has. And hey! I still got a lotta time to grow, so you watch out, ye hear?" The two laughed as Joey patted him on the back.

"You remember my daughter, May?" Joey gestured to a pretty, green-eyed girl with bangs and long braided, blond hair. "She's the joy of my life."

"Ah, I can see why. You've grown up, May." The girl blushed. "And I see you've also taken a liking to my hair style."

"Perhaps, Duo," she said smiling. 

"Eh, so how abouts you coming back to our place for a cup of coffee of somethin'. Catch up on old times, hm?"

"Sure, sounds good to me," Duo grinned.

Joey chuckled, "Good! 'Cuz you know Joey Hardcore dun take no fer an answer."

Duo's voice filled with joyful laughter as the trio walked off, voices calling out to the wind in reminiscent but content tones. On the other side of town, a grumpy voice muttered under its breath after cursing at the laptop monitor. The braided loudmouth had traveled off somewhere without telling Wufei a thing, while Heero had called to check up on them for the second time. Instead of waiting around for the inevitable headache to come, Wufei decided to go out and get some medicine as he thought up a new lecture to give to Duo on communication problems.

***

AN: Thought this would be a nice break from the serious chapters. The next ones will get serious again and darker - just a warning.


	6. Miscommunication

****

Part 5: Miscommunication

"What the _hell _are you talking about?" yelled Duo. "_You're_ giving _me_ a lecture on communication problems? Excuse me if I'm missin' somethin' here, but I'm not the one who decided to lock myself in my room for three days and not tell my partner until he _picks_ the lock and _breaks_ in himself."

"That had nothing to do with you, and it was none of your business," Wufei hissed irritably at the equally irritated boy in front of him. 'Why can't he admit he has to communicate with me better instead of going off on a pointless tangent,' Wufei thought angrily to himself.

"Wufei, get the facts straight. You locked yourself in for three days and I'm..." Duo paused to struggle for the right words and concluded, "Yeah, I'm concerned. Who sleeps for three days straight while listening to music deafeningly loud then says he's ok? I think I could really use some answers here. I mean, we're partners, right? There's gotta be some trust."

Wufei scowled at this. He couldn't tell Duo what broke him. He just couldn't. Not yet anyhow. He simply retorted, "There also has to be some privacy and lines drawn. Whatever that was about is none of your business."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to help you. I honestly do."

"I don't need your help, Maxwell."

'Great, he's calling me by my last name now,' Duo thought bitterly. Things certainly weren't progressing anywhere.

"So maybe you don't need my help," Duo offered. "Fine. Can't we just agree that we both have communication problems and need to work on them?"

'Finally, he admits,' Wufei thought, relieved at last. "The next time you go out, you better tell me where you're going and how long you'll be out for. I'm not going to wait around till 11 o'clock at night for you to get back, and I'm not going to be the clueless idiot in front of Heero again."

"Alright, done. Next time you decide to lock yourself in your room, you better tell me how long you expect to stay in there and if you're planning on eating or not so next time_ I_ won't be the clueless idiot in front of Heero either," Duo cracked a smile at his joke.

Wufei just snickered and smiled to the side. "Done," he said while his smile evolved into a laugh. Duo laughed along with him and wondered why things couldn't always be this easy with Wufei. He expected to get punched in the face for mocking the stoic Chinese boy, but things turned out for the better.

With content eyes, Wufei solemnly regarded Duo, letting the braided boy's warm laughter surround him in a comforting embrace. His violet eyes seemed to laugh with his voice; everything radiated warmth and beckoned Wufei to an unfamiliar, inviting world. Such an alien feeling would have normally caused Wufei to react negatively, but he had no fear. He stopped denying to himself his weaknesses and felt himself drawn to that warmth, to that rich laughter. If only, if only he could capture it, bathe in its glow, and be freed. If only he could touch its purity, only for a short while, since he was too craven to linger. If only he had the courage...

Duo let the laughter die in his voice when he looked up at Wufei. The joke had come and gone, and now with estranged eyes, Wufei was staring at him seemingly stuck in deep thought. Yet, he wasn't. His mind was right there. Panic and nervousness gripped Duo's heart. Wufei was unreadable to him unless he was angry, and right now he was anything but angry. Such a predatory, lustful look on his friend's face was strange and never-before-seen, but it was there, and it was directed at him. His instincts instantly kicked in, and they told him: You're a coward. Gain some distance before it's too late.

So that's what he did. Taking a small, hesitant step back, Duo commanded himself to breathe right. He let a tiny, nervous laugh out in a poor attempt to break the silence. What was going on? Wufei followed with a giant step forward which caused Duo to spin around only to find the wall half a foot behind him. He cursed under his breath and decided it was best to get to the front door straightaway, only he was too late. Wufei grabbed his arm and forced him to turn back around, knocking his back into the wall. His wrists were then pinned above his head while Wufei's body weight leaned against him, making it impossible for him to flee.

'Good God if I'm not gonna piss in my damn pants right about now!' Duo thought, feeling his knees uncontrollably tremble. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest and ears, he felt like he would explode that very moment. 'Breathe, come on breathe,' Duo told himself, expecting the worst.

The taller boy with lonely eyes stared at his frozen captive. His whole body and heart wanted, needed warmth from the other boy so much that he had not noticed reality while being caught in his illusions. His body shared an unfamiliar yet pleasant physical warmth with the other boy, but the body pinned under him was rigid cold with fear except for the trembling knees. When had fear and nervousness replaced Duo's inviting laughter? His gentle smile? Why hadn't he noticed this.

Wufei exhaled and finally looked away from Duo. What a thoughtless idiot he had made out of himself, again. 

Looking back into still frightened violet eyes, he asked in a deep, hoarse voice, "Are you afraid of me?"

Duo gulped. What should he say? If he said yes, that might be seen as an invitation to do more while disagreeing might offer Wufei to prove otherwise. His only response was even more involuntary trembling of his knees. 'Damnit, since when was Death ever afraid of anything?' Duo asked himself, yet fear still held his heart.

Black eyes became somber and somewhat saddened. The ravenous look that was full of lust just moments before was gone. The tight grip around Duo's wrists relaxed and left the burning skin to be cooled by fresh air. Wufei took a step back, ashamed of his actions.

"Duo...I..." he was at a lost for words and stared down at his feet. He couldn't believe he had caused those joyful eyes to be filled with panic. "Duo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it, I...I don't know..." He was completely lost.

'Damnit, Duo!' the shorter boy scolded himself. 'You've completely misled him.' This was a chance of a lifetime, and was he going to just let it fly out the window? 'No, way,' Duo smirked, his fear quickly subsiding.

He let a curse out under his breath and approached Wufei, "I'm sorry, too. It's alright really, I mean, I don't mind if we, y'know..." he blushed furiously. 'Now isn't the time to look like a bumbling idiot, you fool,' he thought to himself. "I mean, the look on your face," he chuckled lightly, "it was kind of unexpected. I was just, y'know, surprised."

"Are you being serious?" Wufei asked, still refusing to look into his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The boy had been scared shitless only seconds before, so what the hell was he saying now?

"Yeah, I mean I want to-"

Firm lips crushed against his, preventing him from continuing to speak while he found himself once more pinned against the wall. The kiss was rough and dominating, and Duo could only respond weakly as Wufei's hands began traveling above his waist and back down over his thin shirt. Then, one hand felt its way under the offending fabric and began to caress his right side with slow, careful strokes. He let his arms snake around Wufei's neck and broke the kiss to tilt his head the other way and initiate the next kiss. His tongue pushed against Wufei's moist lips and the boy gasped while he took the advantage to explore the hot wet cavern, gliding over Wufei's tongue and feeling the roof of his mouth.

Wufei continued to lean his body into Duo, his growing erection rubbing through the fabric of his pants against the other boy who responded with a quick thrust of his hips. He pulled away from the kiss to suppress a moan and found himself being tugged towards the couch. His need to feel warmth and to be touched was growing overwhelming, and he tugged his shirt off to feel the cool air touch his skin before hovering over Duo and settling his legs between the other's outspread ones. He leaned down on his elbows while feeling the bulge in his pants grow and he began to grind his hips at first slowly, then gradually faster into Duo's while watching his face in eager anticipation. The poor legs of the worn down couch squeaked in protest as the boys began to grind furiously against each other. Duo's eyelids fluttered shut and he let out a guttural moan while his breaths were rapid and uneven. He couldn't even see anymore from the erotic fire coursing from his hard sex throughout his whole body, completely consuming him. His mouth opened to inhale more air and Wufei quickly attacked his sweet, plush lips while picking up the tempo even more. Broad hands roughly pushed up Duo's shirt and pulled it off before his slightly bruised lips were immediately covered yet again with hot intensity and then parted relentlessly with a persistent tongue. The heat was growing between his spread legs and he broke off the kiss to draw in shaky breaths while gripping Wufei's back and helplessly throwing back his head, moaning with each of Wufei's hard thrusts. 

Wufei, himself, was on the brink of losing control. Duo responded so eagerly with every touch of his lips and every push of his hips, he couldn't help but want more. More of Duo. His heated mouth moved fervently down to Duo's taut slender neck, his tongue licking in small, slow circles around the delicate throbbing skin above the madly beating pulse just below Duo's jaw line. The shorter boy elicited another weak gasp, and Wufei's lips began to work frantically all over the tender flesh of the other boy's neck. He felt Duo's body shudder and arch under him as he came, his eyes shut tight and mouth hanging open in a strained cry of ecstasy. It was too much for Wufei to handle and he began suck the smooth skin under his lips feverishly while thrusting harder into Duo. The bent, parted legs on either side of him began to tremble and the strong hands on his back tensed, gripping hard. He felt his lower abdomen tighten as he moaned and ejaculated into the crotch of his pants. 

Wufei panted hard against Duo's ear after the last wave of his orgasm ceased, his exhausted body collapsing on top of Duo's, his warm breath floating over the other boy's flushed, sweaty face. Hair that had come out of his usually tight ponytail was stuck to the side of his own moist face as he watched Duo draw brisk breaths of air into his mouth and out again, his hands on Wufei's back resting limp and clammy. The boy's long, brown bangs were stuck in clumps along his forehead and his usually neat braid was left in a haphazard condition. His eyes were slightly closed and his eyelashes faintly fluttered. 

Wufei tried to speak, his voice coming out strangely hoarse and husky, "Duo."

Duo weakly opened his eyes, violet rifts and crystal specks shining at Wufei. "Good God, Wufei," he said between long breaths and then mischievously smirked. "That was really damn good." 'And we didn't even have sex!' Duo thought, amused. Exhaling again, he suddenly leaned up to brush his lips against Wufei's when a loud beeping sounded. It came from the laptop sitting on the coffee table positioned right across from them, its black screen flashing with red letters that read, 'Request from Headquarters to Connect.'

"Shit!" yelled Duo as he looked at the ominous monitor like a deer caught in headlights. He quickly pushed Wufei off of him and scrambled around like a chicken without its head.

"Duo, put on another shirt that covers your neck!" Wufei panicked, seeing the large mark he had left on the other boy's neck.

"What?" Duo yelled as he ran into the bathroom across from his room and turned on the light. "Shit shit shit! Damnit, Wufei, you left the biggest goddamn hickey on my neck!"

Wufei was in no mood for theatrics and quickly put on his shirt while fixing his ponytail and mopping his face with Duo's abandoned shirt on the floor. Upon further thought, he decided to let his hair down and grabbed a towel from the now vacant bathroom. A cursory glance into Duo's room showed him that the boy was almost ready with a red turtleneck on, his braid currently being tidied up.

"I'm going to connect now Duo. Just say you were just in the shower, and I'll say I got caught in the rain."

"Sure thing," Duo called out.

Before sitting down, Wufei scowled at the sweaty cushions of the old couch and decided to turn the monitor so he could sit on the equally worn down armchair that was adjacent to the couch. Satisfied, he pressed the enter key to connect to the Preventers Headquarters. The screen read, 'Connecting...' before it flickered and Sally's amused face appeared.

"Took you long enough there, Wufei. And I can see you've been enjoying the weather in L-2, huh?"

Wufei put on his best scowl. "I couldn't like it here anymore than I do right now. Cut to the chase, Sally. Why the sudden call?"

"Well, Heero recently told me about the situation you and Duo are having over there. Seems like neither one of you can keep track of the other's whereabouts. If you two are having trouble working together, I don't have a problem splitting you up and assigning you both new teams."

"No!" Duo yelped from the hallway and bounded into the living room. He knelt in front of Wufei who frowned at him. "Hey, Sally, we're doing absolutely marvelous here. No need to make hasty decisions, eh?"

Sally hesitated, "But it's your lack of communication..."

"No need to worry about that. Wufei already gave me the lecture, and we've managed to solve our problems quite...efficiently." Duo grinned widely as Wufei's frown turned into a glare.

"Oh, really? Wufei, do you share the same sentiment?"

"Of course," Wufei retorted. 

Sally smiled, "You're one hard person to read, Wufei. Seems like you're about ready to kill the poor guy."

Wufei sighed. "Woman, you are mistaken."

"Alright, alright," Sally yielded. "I'd like to brief you both on your new mission. A team of guerilla fighters have been reported to be plotting several attacks on important peace leaders, including Relena Peacecraft. These guerillas who ironically call themselves, "Peacemakers", are said to be currently stationed somewhere in the L-2 cluster. Your mission is to arrest them and bring them back unharmed to Headquarters. Heero is on his way to assist you."

"As if we couldn't handle this ourselves?" Wufei questioned angrily. He did not need or want Heero to assist him with anything.

Sally sighed and rolled her eyes, "Heero currently has the most information on these people after doing extensive research. He is essential to your mission. He will be arriving tomorrow at the Sweepers' Headquarters. Meet him at exactly 1 o'clock PM. Understood? This mission is code level red, meaning you better complete this mission successfully asap."

"Got it," Duo said in a serious tone of voice. "We understand perfectly."

"Good," Sally responded curtly. "I'm warning you both. If I hear another report that leads me to doubt your teamwork, you both will be off the case. Over and out."

"Well, I don't think we'll have to worry about that, now will we?" Duo asked without a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I hope not," Wufei answered, his face drawn and eyes dark in question. What did he mean to Duo after all that had just happened between them? Guilt was written all over the Chinese boy's face. He knew all he wanted was to steal Duo's warmth and make it his own. He wanted to know how it was like to be touched without having to wince in pain. All that had happened was the result of his selfish needs...he hadn't even thought about how Duo would react after it all happened.

"Duo..." Wufei called out to his friend, uncertain and doubtful.

"Wufei, please," Duo said, his voice flat. He had already noticed the doubt surrounding the other boy, "look at me when you say whatever you're about to say."

Inside, something broke in Wufei, and it began to tear him apart. He quickly resolved to put on his usual, expressionless mask to cover up the internal damage. "Duo," he began again, looking at Duo with cold as stone eyes, "don't take what just happened between us seriously."

A pang resounded in Duo's chest and his heart knotted. Wufei's cold eyes bore past and right through him. They did not see him anymore.

"I know, Wufei. I knew the moment you kissed me," Duo's lips curved painfully into a smile. He got up and turned his back to Wufei. He could no longer look at him without feeling his heart break into pieces. Pretending to yawn, he stretched his arms out and walked away, then stopped to say, "Well, I don't know if you're tired yet, but it's near midnight and I'm going to bed." 

Wufei listened to Duo's footsteps, listened when his bedroom door was completely closed, waited till he was sure Duo was in bed, before letting his face crumble and the tears fall from his tightly shut eyes. He had hurt his friend, his only friend, beyond the meaning of words. Now, he could truly call himself a monster.

***

AN: I'm evil, yes I know ;-; this whole chapter was difficult for me to write. Bah. It's nearly 5am in the morning, talk about tired. I'm sorry, Duo. Things will get even more complicated in the next chapter. 


End file.
